A delicious variation recipe of idlis made with skinless, moong dal paired with a spicy tomato chutney, to make your breakfast scenes even better!
And I have yet another yummy and healthy idli recipe for you. This is my moong dal idlis & tomato chutney recipe. As much as the combination of these idlis and the chutney looks appealing, they taste great together too. Not that your coconut chutney wouldn’t pair well, but I love the spicy tomato one with these moong idlis. I have used skinless moong dal or petite yellow lentils along with urad dal, to make these steamed lentil cakes. Urad dal is skinless black gram and both of these are usually available in the Asian section of most super markets. Therefore, I have made these idlis with easily available ingredients. If you don’t find skinless moong dal, you could also use green gram too. And you can find my green gram or moong beans idli recipe here.
The cooking process of both these types of idlis are the same. However these, unlike my instant vermicelli and semolina idlis will need fermenting. Nonetheless, it is a very easy recipe, but you will need to start the prep for the moong dal idlis a day prior to making them. This is to give the batter time to ferment. A well fermented batter will result into spongy and soft idlis. Now, you will need to bear in mind the weather around to determine for how long the fermentation time would be. For instance, it is still not very warm here in London, so my batter took about 10 hours to double up in volume. Doubling up is a great visual indicator of your batter being ready to be steamed. However, in warmer places, for example in Mumbai when my mother makes these, her idli batter is needs resting for about 6 hours. So, this is something you will need to be watchful of.
Moong dal idlis
The recipes for both, the moong dal idlis and the tomato chutney are extremely simple. To make the idlis taste extra special I have flavoured the dal batter with ginger and chilli flakes. And this gives the steamed lentil cakes a lovely gingery taste. Nevertheless, if you don’t wish to, you could just add the salt and leave these two out.
Some pointers to bear in mind while making the idlis:
- Soak both the dals – moong and urad – separately for 3 to 4 hours, so that they can bloom and soften
- While grinding the dals (again separately) add water gradually, so that you get a fine, smooth paste
- Grinding the pulses to a smooth paste is imperative
- Once that gets done, mix the two ground dals well and leave it in a warm place to ferment, for 6-8 hours (time will also depend on your local weather conditions)
- When well fermented, the batter would have doubled up in volume
The next process is then to grease your idli moulds (with ghee or oil), fill them with the dal mixture and steam! Keep these bullets in mind and you will be able to enjoy beautiful, soft and spongy moong dal idlis. Not to forget mentioning how healthy these savoury cakes are. Both these pulses are rich in nutrients and proteins. Moreover, the fact that this is a steamed recipe only makes it better.
Tomato chutney
The spicy tomato chutney is also a very easy, one pot recipe. To a pot you will need to add in chopped tomatoes along with a few, basic spices and that is all. Furthermore, you can make this while your idlis are steaming. Therefore, you basically won’t be spending any extra time, making it. While I have used canned tomatoes for my chutney, even the fresh ones are fine.
Serving suggestion
Serve these delicious moong dal idlis and tomato chutney, fresh for a satisfying breakfast and/or brunch. Add a cup of chai or coffee alongside to make your meal even more blissful. And if you are an idli fan like I am, you can even have some for lunch and/or dinner too! 🙂
If you try my easy, quick and healthy breakfast recipe out, do share your feedback with me. I’d love to see your pictures on Instagram, too.
Eat hearty!
Moong dal idlis & tomato chutney
Equipment
- Idli steamer
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal petite yellow lentils
- 1 cup urad dal split black gram
- 1 inch ginger crushed
- 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the tomato chutney
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 3-4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp hing asafetida
- 2 tbsp oil
- 5-6 curry leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
To make the idlis
- Wash the dals well and soak them separately for 4-5 hours
- In a mixer jar grind the dals, again separately, until smooth
- In a mixing bowl, add both the ground dals and mix well. Cover and let this mixture sit for another 6-7 hours
- When done, add the crushed ginger, chilli flakes, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well but gently and drop about two tablespoons of the batter in greased idli moulds
- Steam on high flame for 12 minutes or until done. Once done, scoop out the cooked idlis in a serving dish
To make the tomato chutney
- Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the curry leaves, hing and crushed garlic
- Once the garlic turns fragrant, stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt
- Over medium heat, cook the tomatoes, until completely soft and the oil separates. Add the sugar and mix well
- Remove in a serving dish and let it come to room temperature
- Serve the moong dal idlis and tomato chutney fresh for breakfast/brunch. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adding the chili flakes to the idli batter is optional
- You can also use fresh tomatoes for the chutney
- The sugar in the chutney balances the acidity of the tomatoes
- g - grams
- tsp - teaspoon
- tablespoon
I just came across this page today and I am surprised and just loving all ur recipes. It just looks so perfect. Thank u for sharing this with us.
I am so happy that you like my recipes. I hope you try some soon, too. Thank you so much for your kind words Suchismita 🙂